<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You Should've Told Me by mathiaswrites</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478900">You Should've Told Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mathiaswrites/pseuds/mathiaswrites'>mathiaswrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>eve music videos, 虚の記憶 | Kara no Kioku (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emeto Mention, Hurt, Inochi is the name being used in this fic, M/M, Mild Blood, Zingai!Inochi, this fic is based around eating so if you are uncomfy with that you shouldnt read this, throw up mention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:07:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478900</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mathiaswrites/pseuds/mathiaswrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After so long of keeping a secret from Rei, he finally finds out. <br/>And possibly in the worst way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukumo Rei/Inochi-kun, Tsukumo Rei/Otogiri Tobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Incident</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Inochi knew he needed to eat, even if it made him feel terrible about himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been neglecting it for a few days now. He knew it wasn’t good for him to do, and it made him feel even more sick with the fact he had to eat human food… Though he couldn’t make himself reject the food Rei makes for him, so he eats it and struggles with the feeling of wanting to throw it all back up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>At least I can last longer without food than what humans can…</em> Inochi sighs lightly, <em>This does mean I’ll have to eat soon… It’s already so late though, and I can’t risk Rei seeing me eat…</em> The blonde boy rests his chin on his hand, he was watching Rei eat dinner. He seemed tired. <em>...I could eat after he goes to sleep...Though if he wakes up in the night and comes into another room...I could go out and get a shadow myself… Ugh…</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi was starting to feel terrible again. He hated being half Zingai, he hated that he had to eat like this. He felt so terrible about it… He felt like a monster. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi’s thoughts got interrupted by Rei’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inochi, you okay? You seem spaced out,” Rei said softly, as if trying not to startle him if he was spaced out. Inochi shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no, I’m fine.” Inochi reassures him, “Don’t worry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei didn’t seem convinced, and Inochi didn’t blame him. Rei didn’t push any further about it, though. Instead, Rei suggested the two should rest, Q-Ta letting out a ‘Kyuu!’ in agreement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi agreed… The quicker Rei falls asleep, the quicker he can get his business done with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two got ready for bed, laying down together. Inochi still wasn’t used to all of this… The only physical affection he’s had his whole life was from Noppo… Now he’s getting it from Rei as well. He enjoys it, but he’s not used to it. Rei moves to wrap his arms around him, pulling Inochi close to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi can’t help but smile softly, nuzzling into the hug and resting an arm on Rei’s waist. He didn’t want to get up, he just wanted to stay there in Rei’s arms… Nothing else mattered when they were like this. He didn’t have to care about anything other than his partner. He didn’t have to think about anything other than his partner…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If only they could stay like that forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei’s breathing soon softens, becoming more level… He was starting to fall asleep. Inochi continued to wait for Rei to fall completely asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Rei did seem to be asleep, Inochi carefully slipped out of the cuddling, and left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei was nearly asleep until he felt Inochi get up, and heard him walk out of the room… What was he doing? Maybe he needed to go to the bathroom…? He didn’t eat much earlier though… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei sleepily got up, he heard Inochi say something to Noppo, but he couldn’t hear what it was… Rei peaked out of his room into the rest of the apartment… Right as he does, he sees Inochi walking out of the door, lightly closing it to not make much noise…</span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>He’s sneaking out! But...Why?</em> Rei’s thoughts started to race thinking about all the reasons why Inochi would sneak out… <em>Does he do this often? Is this something he does every night?</em> Rei wondered… Though there was only one way to find out why he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei exited the room, grabbing a light jacket and slipping his shoes on before following Inochi out of the house, Q-Ta following.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nothing seemed abnormal about Inochi leaving, he just seemed to be taking a night stroll. Though he seemed nervous, Rei couldn’t begin to think why he would be… Is it because he was nervous about him finding out…? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when a shadow comes into view, Rei backs up out of fear and Q-Ta gets into a defensive position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi didn’t seem phased, however. He pulled out a cutting knife from his coat pocket and fought it, soon it was killed…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He… killed it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black shadow was limp, yellow and orange splattered across it’s black form. Rei didn’t know what to think… He’s a shadow exterminator, this is what he does it’s <em>fine. </em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though… Inochi didn’t stop. He picked up the shadow, and walked into a nearby alleyway… Rei was nervous about following him, but curiosity was filling his mind. He hesitantly followed Inochi to the alleyway, peeking around the corner, then taking a few steps into the alleyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi drops it onto the ground and kneels down to it, taking out his knife again and cutting it open more. He then grabbed a handful of little yellow and orange… orbs from inside it and.. Ate it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was <em>eating the shadow.</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei covers his mouth with his hand, he felt like he was going to get sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, Inochi started to shift… His hair stood up, orange horns grew out of his head, his hands started to resemble claws…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi visibly stiffened up, and he spun around to look at Rei, eyes wide… He’s not human. He looks like a dragon, or something, it didn’t matter what he resembled, all he knew is that it was <em>terrifying.</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi quickly shifted back to look like himself. Rei couldn’t believe what he saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” He breathed out, visibly panicked. Inochi then stood up to face Rei properly, but Rei could only focus on what he saw, and what he’s seeing right now… It felt like he had witnessed a crime, there was what Rei thought to be shadow blood on Inochi as well… Not just on his clothes, but on his face and around his mouth as well. Inochi then spoke, startling Rei once more, “I- Rei! Rei, I can- I can explain, i-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You- This is why you’re… You’re one of those.. Things?! I’ve been dating a monster, I…” Rei spat out without thinking, backing away from Inochi. Inochi freezes in his place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Rei, I…” Inochi was at a loss of words. He didn’t know what to say.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is why.. Why you.. Always seem disgusted, you aren’t <em>human,</em> you…” His words trailed off… <em>Why didn’t he TELL me?</em> Rei was freaked out, and he felt betrayed. Inochi tries to take another step towards him, opening his mouth to speak, but Rei didn’t want to hear anything from him. “Stay away from me!” Inochi stops in his place again, this time he listens. He takes a few steps away from Rei before running off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei watched Inochi leave, eyes wide… Rei’s eyes travel down to the shadow, still laying there on the cold ground, dead. Rei shifted his attention to something not so disturbing. His hands. After a moment of staring at his hands, he puts his face in them, crumbling down to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god… Q-Ta I..” He trails off as Q-Ta comes to sit next to him, looking up at him and letting out a worried ‘kyuu’. Rei picks Q-ta up, holding him close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sits there in silence for a few minutes, processing everything he just saw… The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He was upset that Inochi never told him… After all the time the two had been together, he never told him… Then, a realization hit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh God… Q-Ta, I… I called him a monster- I didn’t.. I didn’t mean it… I…” He hugs Q-Ta closer, a few tears falling from his eyes… <em>I shouldn’t cry over this...God…</em> He thought. He wipes his tears away, though more tears fell down his face anyway… He lets a sigh escape his mouth as he pushes himself up from the ground, still holding Q-Ta. “L-Let’s.. Go home…” Rei mumbles, his voice shaky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei goes back to his apartment… He doesn’t know how he’s going to handle seeing Noppo there. He reaches for the door handle before pausing… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What if Inochi’s there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rei doesn’t think he has the strength to face him at the moment. After a minute of hesitation, Rei finally does open the door, walking in… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Empty. Completely empty.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Inochi didn’t know where he was running. He just ran… His legs did take him to a familiar place… The elevator he had lived in all of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He goes to one of the corners of the elevator and lets himself sink down to the ground… He brings his legs up to his chest and hugs them. What happened is replaying over and over again in his head, and he can barely handle it. He feels so shitty about everything, more so than he usually does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s terrified of Rei hating him… He was so scared of Rei seeing him as a monster, and his expectations were right… Rei’s scared of him. Rei called him a monster. It <em>hurts.</em></span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noppo had gotten the feeling that something is wrong with Inochi, and he had immediately gone out to search for him. He had no idea if he had gotten in trouble while eating, and he felt bad for not going with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tries to think where Inochi could’ve gone if he was in trouble… He’d assume Rei’s apartment, but he had just come from there…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their elevator. That’s where he must be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo rushes to the building where their elevator was located, while getting closer to it, there’s shadow blood on the ground… This is definitely where he is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo enters the elevator, seeing Inochi curled up in the corner, covered in shadow blood. Inochi has his face in his arms and knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo doesn’t know what else to do other than to hug him, and so he kneels down to hug the small boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inochi’s eyes widen before he breaks. Sobbing. He sobs out all of the pain that he’s been keeping inside for so long, it’s been a long while since he’s cried this hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo continues to hold him. Comforting him, not saying anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inochi’s breakdown runs its course, he eventually calms down, though still crying… Inochi sighs shakily, and Noppo tilts his head down to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be okay…” The Zingai tells his host, his voice quiet, though audible. Inochi frowns… Another thing that comes with being Half-Zingai is being able to understand them… It was the least worst thing about being like that. Inochi shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not…” How was he supposed to believe that? Rei’s scared of him, and he probably hates him now. He lost his partner… More tears start streaming down his face as he thinks this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo’s usual smile flips, turning into a frown. “Inochi… What happened? Please tell me…” Inochi hesitates…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Rei… He.. found out… H-He saw me eating, he s-saw... my other form…” Inochi leans into the hug more, fending off another breakdown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He reacted badly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Terribly… he screamed, he… Noppo, he called me a m-monster…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo holds him closer, knowing Inochi already struggles with seeing himself as a monster, “I knew he’d freak out when he eventually found out… But not like that. You aren’t a monster. You never have been…” Inochi shakes his head again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am..I am a monster… Even R-Rei sees me as one…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inochi…” The Zingai starts, “You aren’t a monster, I promise you...You’re a good person, you’re good… He was most likely just scared…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe… But… He sees me as one… Even if he was s-scared, i just… Don’t want him to hate me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.. But I think you two just need to talk. Let him calm down, let him think about it… He may not see you as one… It was probably just said in the heat of the moment… It’s not your fault, you aren’t a monster…” Noppo hugs him closer. “And I truly don’t think he would hate you… He’s not the type to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Really hope not…” He sighs lightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From all of the crying and comforting, Inochi and Noppo hadn’t noticed that Inochi’s phone was beeping like crazy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noppo notices it first, and he attempts to fit his giant hand into Inochi’s pocket, but it doesn’t work. Inochi notices what he’s trying to do though, and he grabs his phone for him, opening it to see that Rei has spammed him out of what seems like worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh.. That’s.. A lot of messages…” Noppo says, looking at his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They.. are…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The messages are a lot of apologies and panicking about why he isn’t responding… Inochi lets out a sigh of relief, glad he doesn’t hate him…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should… Probably go back…” Inochi mumbles, hesitantly. Noppo nods in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should. I’m sure he’s worried.” Noppo’s smile forms back on his head, “See, he doesn’t hate you… He just needed some time to calm down~” </span>
</p><p><span>“Yeah.. I guess he is..” Inochi muttered…</span><span><br/></span> <span>Noppo’s smile widens and he stands up. He leans down to pick Inochi up. Inochi fusses, but Noppo doesn’t care. Inochi soon gives in and lets him carry him to Rei’s to properly talk everything over.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HC: Since Inochi is half Zingai, he can talk to Noppo, and any Zingai if he wanted to. Too bad he hates social interaction</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>See you next chapter ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>